Pediatricians in Hyderabad say cases of dengue among children are higher than that among adults.
Lokesh Kumar, Chief of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, asserted that the incidences of dengue have gone down but around 1,043 people tested positive of dengue in the city from June to September.
"For the past couple of days, there have been about 40 viral cases every day, down from when compared to 100 to 120 in the past. Dengue cases are decreasing daily because of the effective measures taken by GHMC like fogging, spraying at vulnerable places which are prone to larva breeding and taking awareness campaigns at local bastis, schools and conducting health camps in slums and basti dawakhanas," claims GHMC Chief Lokesh Kumar.
Though the GHMC claims success in cleaning up the city, the problem still persists, and there has been no respite, say doctors. Incessant rains during the month of September have added to the woes, assert doctors, who further said that they fear that there could be a second wave of the disease in Hyderabad.
The daily quoted Dr. Mohammed Shafi, senior consultant, infectious diseases, saying: “The cases seen till September were caused by the rains in July and August. The September rains again brought out garbage, muck. We have to ensure that our preventive and counter-measures are aggressive to ensure there is no rapid mosquito breeding again.”
The report further said that the occupancy of beds in government as well as private hospitals clearly indicates that doctors are right while the GHMC chief is telling the exact opposite of the truth. The beds in all sectors are packed with patients. The intensive care units in children’s hospitals are packed with minors undergoing treatment for dengue.
“There is no respite from dengue among children. It is clearly conclusive from the details of cases we are attending to every day. If the situation was normal, there should be empty beds. But that is not the case. Till now, we are refusing patients as we have no beds to treat them. Dengue is high in the city, now down,” the daily quoted Dr. Satish Ghanta, senior pediatrician, saying.
Hyderabad is seeing rise in critical cases of dengue among children and adults, which constitute five per cent of the total cases. This clearly implies that dengue mosquitoes are still active and anti-mosquito operations of the GHMC must be extended to far reaching areas.
Dr. Sanjiv Singh Yadav, secretary, T-IMA told the Deccan Chronicle, “We have to be geared up as the rains in September are a new challenge. People must take precautions of not allowing for fresh water stagnation in and around their homes. They must continue to take day and night long mosquito control measures."
People can prevent themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes by wearing full-sleeved clothes and using mosquito repellents and mosquito nets. Also, one must ensure that there is no accumulation of water in the vicinity and also check the water storage places at home.
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